333 half the number of the beast.

Things get numbered in government in the order of when they come up and the stop gap 333 could not be numbered better. Its half of a devil of a job.

Today the drone rumour mill is buzzing with the sound of folks hoping that the FAA will announce new relaxed first person view (FPV) rules and a simple route to commercial flight. We know somethings coming today, Jim Williams said so last week at our conference ;-)

Jim Williams and his team at the FAA has been doing an excellent job and perhaps with a push the USA might already be approaching 500, 333 exemption operators. That might be one of the big ups.

I personally would like to hear about what will be done with the comments from the small rule NPRM and a timeline for that work. Not the seven year wait that was the small rule NPRM start. One that allows us to put another countdown timer up and celebrate an on time on target outcome. I can’t see that being much less than two years away. There is a much greater pressure on the FAA to get on or get out the way now.

Perhaps there will be an interim solution announced.

The FAA has turned a sensible corner with RPAS in the NAS. Folks waiting for simple times might think its longer than they hoped for and the current crop of 333 operators might be making it difficult for them to enter the market when things do kick off properly.

In making UAS fit into the simplest pilots licence category, the sport pilots licence Jim Williams made a smart dodge to get things going. But even that is too much for some. That group will moan that their S1000 does not fit any lower simple rules weight category, watch manufacturers rush to fill the gap.

Several new 333 operators are assuming the policing role for the FAA. Just what a regulator with limited funds needs to help them spot rotten apples. This morning a South Carolina operation has put its flag in the ground as a warning to others that might be after a piece of their pie.

My hunch is that the FAA will say my what a great job we have done so far and how quickly we have moved. Gloss over that 7 year dithering and say further BVLOS is to be allowed for selected 333 operators in remote areas to trial power and pipeline inspections. Nothing that is not already happening in other countries.

A big hope would be that RPAS under a certain weight, say 1kg be exempt from any pilots licence requirement. RCAPA was petitioning for a less restrictive ruling for small craft back in 2008, then that seemed almost absurdly small. Today platforms that weigh that and less are working day to day wordlwide. Others have started pushing a Micro UAS rule, it makes sense.

Its going to happen in a few short hours not long to wait.